love soup

Photography by Mark O'Meara

As soon as Autumn hits, I start to crave the warmth and comfort of soup. My Mum used to make delicious soups like pumpkin, vegetable & barley, potato & leek (recipes to follow) and I have enjoyed recreating these favourites in my own kitchen. Recently, I felt the onset of a cold and I was inspired to make Chicken Noodle Soup.

This recipe is a common cure for the cold and it was a remedy I was prepared to try. I didn't have time to make my own stock (it's on the To Do List but you can find info here) so I bought the best quality liquid stock I could find in the supermarket, grabbed a BBQ chicken and all the other ingredients were either growing in my garden or already in my cupboard - easy!

Below is the recipe I made which is a combo of a couple that I found here and here.

Seriously, there is nothing better than the smell of onion and garlic sauteeing in the pan. Mmmmmm YUM! The end result was a delicious, tasty soup that made me feel better instantly!

Chicken Noodle Soup

1/2 brown onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped

1 stick of celery chopped in cubes

1 big carrot chopped in cubes

1 big zucchini chopped in cubes

1 bay leaf

5 sprigs of thyme tied together with string

1 tbspn olive oil 

1 blob of butter 

1-1.5L Chicken Stock (enough to cover mix by 2-3 inches)

1/2 BBQ chicken, shredded

Gluten free noodles or spaghetti broken up into 1 inch pieces 

Cracked pepper and chopped parsley to garnish

Directions:

Sautee onion and add garlic together with the butter and a bit of oil in a big saucepan until transparent, add celery and carrot and sautee for 3 mins, then add zucchini and cook for 2 mins. Add bay leaf, thyme, chicken stock and shredded chicken and bring to the boil. Add noodles/spaghetti and cook until soft/al dente.  Serve in generous bowls and add cracked pepper chopped parsley to garnish. Serve with toast or fresh bread - as you wish! 

Chicken Noodle Soup IS good for the soul...